Happy New Year to all. After a short break, your local typesetters are back and ready to transform exceptional manuscripts into attractive, informative, and easy-to-read publications.
I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on a few things from 2018, share a New Year’s resolution or two, divulge a delicious family recipe passed down from my mother, and introduce our new design capabilities.
Enjoy, and on behalf of the PPG team, we wish you a healthy, happy 2019 full of excellent reads.
Top reads of 2018
I may be a book fanatic, but I will admit that I’ve been finding harder and harder to read before bed. My eyes are just too tired. Do any of you experience this?
Right at the end of 2018, I picked up a copy of Jane Harper’s The Lost Man. This novel kept me turning the pages well after my usual lights out time – it was certainly one of my top reads for the year.
I’d love to know what your 2018 top read was.
A New Year’s Resolution
Another book I read toward the end of 2018, which we have been typesetting, got me thinking about how most of us tend to overspend, including myself. This year, I’d like to take a few steps toward minimising unnecessary spending, starting with bringing my lunch to work.
This quick and easy trick not only drastically reduces my spending, but also minimises waste by eliminating my need for takeaway plastic and packaging. The office microwave pings some days, unveiling a meal of delectable leftovers. On other days, the sandwich press heats up a whole range of tasty treats.
A tried-and-true family recipe
You may not know this, but I adore cooking. I’ve been mixing up a storm in the kitchen since I was a kid – I find it incredibly enjoyable and stress-reducing. I do, however, get bored with cooking the same old thing week after week, and coming up with new meals for the family can become a real chore.
Does anyone else feel the same way?
In light of this, I thought I’d share one of my beloved classics (which make for amazing leftovers and lunches, if you, like me, are looking to minimise your spending this year) that you can test out on your family.
My mother’s zucchini bake
My mum gave me this recipe when I was in my teens, and I’ve been cooking it ever since. It’s great for lunch or dinner, hot or cold, and is perfect for large gatherings. Simply cut it into bite-sized pieces and watch as people keep coming back for more.
Ingredients
375g grated zucchini
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 rashers of bacon, chopped (optional)
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup olive oil
5 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Grease a baking dish and pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, pour into the dish, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. When cooked, the bake will be golden brown and firm. Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.
Our newest team member has the design gift
Last month, we welcomed Maria Biaggini to our team of local typesetters.
Since joining us, Maria has done an incredible job on a variety of design projects, from cover designs to internal layouts.
One of the projects we are particularly proud of is Magabala’s forthcoming teachers’ resource for Dark Emu. Maria worked on this project from initial concept design through to typesetting, and soon-to-be final pages.
So enough of my ramblings – it’s back to work!
And if you would like to know more about the graphic design work we can do for your print and digital publications, please give us a shout.
